SnakeyeS - Ultimate Sin

The perceptive sound of “Heavy Metal” is interpreted differently person to person, generation to generation, and nowadays, sub-genre to sub-genre. And no matter the metal preference, most fans possess a passion and burning loyalty to a stylistic sound, buried deep within each one’s soul, which drives them to the point of not compromising their tastes in the least bit. For years, these uncompromising feelings have been the source of endless disagreements based on musical tempo, vocal style, lyrical content, and more often than should be, a bands appearance. We all have our opinions of what is, and what isn’t right. Every great while, a band explodes onto the scene, releasing an album with such a widely appealing sound, that it bridges the gap between everything that’s hard and heavy, leaving no doubt that what they’ve just offered is truly, “Heavy Metal”. Such is the case for one of my new favorite bands, SNAKEYES.

With the release of their first full-length album, “Ultimate Sin”, there’s no denying that this band is special, and regardless of one’s preferred flavor of metal, this album will surely appeal to the mass head banging population. This 11-track masterpiece was one of my most anticipated releases of 2015 and comes on the heels of their highly successful 2013 EP, “Welcome To The Snake Pit”. Consisting of Cosmin Aionita on vocals, Jose Pineda on bass and guitar, Justi Bala on guitar, and Carlos Delgado on drums, SNAKEYES classic metal style conveys a strong comparison to, anything fronted by Rob Halford (THE “Metal God”), leaning more to the heavier FIGHT and HALFORD sound, and “Painkiller” era JUDAS PRIEST, as well as DIO and IRON MAIDEN. Aionita’s voice has freakish range, power, and fury, and he has the potential to become the new generation’s “Metal God”. The guitar riffs are classic Power Metal hostility that perfectly transition into highly contagious solos. While his bass playing is outstanding, Pineda’s presence has been paramount to the success of the band. The band originally started as his solo project, but after joining forces and writing songs with Aionita, and then adding Bala and Delgado to the fold, he has solidified SNAKEYES’ status as one of the bands to watch in 2015 and one that will be playing to plenty.

Sure, there have been many bands that have played this style of music and possess the talent to go along with it, but the songwriting here is what separates this album from the others. Without a weak song on the album, this one is a “can’t miss”. I’ve listened to “Ultimate Sin” repeatedly for two weeks and I challenge all metalheads to turn it on, turn it up to “10”, and just listen. SNAKEYES is proof that Metal can still be universally Heavy. While the landscape of metal continues to evolve, it’s sometimes difficult for everyone to agree on what “Heavy Metal” should sound like. This is not something that’s heard solely superficially; it’s a connection that’s felt deep inside, and it just feels right. I can sum it up in one word: SNAKEYES.

Tracklist:

1. Demon in You Mind2. Denied3. Shadow Warriors4. Black and White5. Blood of the Damned6. Rise of the Triad7. Time of Dismay8. Ultimate Sin9. Down with the Devil10. Snake Pit11. The Cross is a Lie